According to the health officials, the deceased had shown symptoms of high fever. They died while undergoing treatment at Biratnagar-based hospitals.

Gupta further said that there has been a spike in patients with symptoms of high fever, muscle cramps, cough, joint pains and headache and around 400 people have been affected by the disease in Kanchanrup area alone.

A team of the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD) and a team of the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences have begun studies of the unidentified disease.

Section chief at EDCD Dr Prakash Sah said they had started treatment of 400 patients from health camps from Sunday.

“We have collected samples from the affected area for lab tests,” said Sah, adding that they have suspected to have Scrub typhus or Influenza in patients. Official said the disease could only be diagnosed after testing samples at the National Public Health Laboratory.

Meanwhile, officiating chief of the District Public Heath Office Niranjan Yadav said the EDCD team will treat patients in the affected areas for three days.